FreeWhat!?

**This article previously posted on freewhat.org in 2007**

If We’re Stuck in a Hole, Maybe We Should Quit Digging

By Regie Thompson

Over the past two weeks, the world has been watching tragic events unfold at a coal mine in central Utah. So far, three rescuers have been killed in their effort to reach six trapped miners. Stories of the trapped men, their families, community support efforts, the mine owners, federal regulators among other things, have dominated the local media lately to the point of over saturation.

The fact that they are trapped arises from a desire for cheap fossil fuel-based energy. Most of the energy consumed in Utah is generated by burning coal, which is a huge industry for Carbon and Emery counties. Each time you turn on a light, open your refrigerator, charge your cell phone/iPod/laptop, ride Trax, watch TV, et al, ad nauseum, you likely use power generated by a coal fired power plant located somewhere in Utah. The coal may have come from the mine in which the men are trapped, or one nearby.

Coal mining and power plants provide a significant number of jobs to the people who live in central Utah, directly and indirectly. The miner buys his groceries at the market in town which is owned by his neighbor who deposits his receipts at the bank which finances the equipment that the miner might use, and the circle goes on and on. Communities like Huntington and Castle Dale owe their prosperity to one thing: coal and consumption of energy generated by it.

So what happens when the coal, better yet the demand for it, runs out and the power plant must cut jobs or eventually close? What happens to the grocery store, the bank, and the mining equipment dealer? What about the residents of Salt Lake City, who suddenly are faced with no more cheap, easy to produce energy? This day is coming whether we like it or not.

I, for one, don’t think we are ready to answer these questions. The answers are not easy to swallow. Nor do I think we will experience any sort of grand calamity, chaos, or war over the last of the supply. But if we don’t get our priorities in line with reality, the future holds some real challenges.

Now is the time to address these issues, and there are discussions taking place on a grand scale, but the people making policy in this state are not listening. They are too busy worrying about school vouchers and soccer stadiums to be bothered with issues as puny as clean, renewable energy. Our state legislature needs to hear one collective voice demanding change. Action must be taken. It is our responsibility to our selves, our friends and families, and our communities to make our voices heard and incite this change. We can begin in our own homes by implementing the many available technologies to reduce our energy consumption. For example, replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lighting, or setting the thermostat just two degrees higher in summertime can show real savings from month to month. Compare the power bills from before and after making a change. Keep track of the savings, and show it to friends and neighbors. Tell them what you did and how they can do the same. Give them a compact fluorescent light as an introduction. Let them know that they can be part of a massive shift in consciousness that will make this transition easier on all of us. Encourage them to become part of a neighborhood group discussing the change, and give them contact information for local leaders.

I believe it is our responsibility to make efforts not only to reduce the amount of energy we consume, but to encourage local officials to put certain mandates on how that energy is produced. I suggest it be made mandatory that any new building be fitted with a solar power system large enough to produce the energy needed to sustain itself, through the heat of summer and dark winter nights. There are solar panels on the market today that are non-obtrusive and made to look like and act as part of the roof material. If the amount of energy produced is greater than the need, that energy is fed back into the grid to help power dwellings that use traditional sources. If the energy demand cannot be met by the solar system, they may use power from the grid. I also propose that all new dwellings with attics be fitted with solar powered fans that remove hot air from the attic, reducing the need for air conditioning. These fans are optional on most new homes, but not yet mandatory. If such measures are taken in older dwellings, a tax break should be generous enough to provide real incentive and offset part of the cost of retrofitting. Currently, Utah does not offer a tax incentive for a solar retrofit the electrical system of a home. Legislation has been introduced but has never made it out of committee. The legal monopoly of Pacific Power does offer rebate incentives to purchase energy efficient appliances and building materials, as well as blocks of wind power to offset coal-produced consumption. But they also continue to donate campaign cash to legislators who set energy policy in this state, lobby state regulators who set ceilings for energy pricing, and they also keep buying more and more cheap, coal-generated electricity and selling it for huge profits.

These changes in habit and consciousness will be easier for some than for others. Initially, it will cost more for consumers, but as the easily accessed coal runs out, the price for the energy it provides will rise as supply fails to meet demand. Eventually, we will be using cleaner, renewable sources of energy out of necessity, rather than choice. Then, perhaps we will be at the point where men don’t need to go into a hole they may never come out of.